A Rhône-style white blend from Barrel 27 — 42% Viognier, 34% Roussanne and 24% Marsanne . All of the fruit comes from French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles. The wine is a joint effort of winemakers McPrice Meyers and Russel From.

Meyers and From have their own, independent labels as well, Mac’s McPrice Myers Wine Company, and Russell’s Herman Story Wines Both produce Rhone varietal wines, focusing on Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Roussanne.

Deep golden straw in color. An aromatic nose with honey, floral notes, lemongrass, wet stone and a touch of butterscotch and watercress. On the palate, lemonheads, citrus zest, honey, wet limestone, butter, cured ham — and there is something in the flavor profile that reminds me of Lillet Blanc. Good viscosity and weight with a silky, lush and oily mouthfeel. It is listed at 15.1% percent alcohol — and it certainly is a bit too present for my tastes. There is a lot of nice fruit, some flab and structure, but it’s just a bit too much for my palate.

I am sure there are those that will like this wine. I certainly had hopes given that it is a white Rhône blend from Paso Robles, and while there were many characteristics I liked quite a bit, but I think McPrice and Russel both had their foot on the accelerator. I would stop short of recommending the wine, but would note it is a very good value. I have seen this wine priced at a couple of places at around $15 a bottle, it may retail at about $18.

About McPrice Myers
McPrice Myers began his career working for specialty food retailers and grocery stores, giving him the opportunity to taste a lot of wine. In wine he found a passion and started dreaming of the day when he would make his own wine.

He started working harvests in Paso Robles, learning the trade and making the contacts that would lay the groundwork for the point at which he would eventually make his own wine. In 2002, Myers contracted enough fruit to make 250 cases of Santa Barbara County Syrah.

Read review of McPrice Myers Grenache L’ange 2005.

About Russell From
Russell got his start in wine while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Agriculture program. Intending to become a farm equipment magnate, Russell began working at wineries mostly because they were hiring, but it wasn’t long before he ‘got the bug’ and began a serious study of winemaking. It wouldn’t be long before he met Mac Myers, and after several discussions, appropriate amounts of wine, and a punch-up or two, Barrel 27 was born to the wordsn“Each bottle of this wine represents a dream realized by two friends.”